Silver streaks

What are silver streaks?

Silver streaks are the splash appearance of moisture, air, or charred plastic particles on the surface of a molded part, which are fanned out in a direction emanating from the gate location.

FIGURE 1. Silver streaks

Causes of silver streaks

Silver streaks can be caused by:

Moisture
Plastic materials absorb a certain degree of moisture during storage. If the material is not dried properly before molding, the moisture residing in the resin will turn into a steam during the injection process and splay on the surface of the molded part.

Air
During the plasticization period, a certain amount of gas can be trapped and blended into the melt material. If the air does not escape during the injection process, it could splay out on the surface of the molded part.

Degraded (charred) plastic particles

There are a couple of reasons degraded (charred) plastic particles will splay on the surface of a molded part. Material contamination When molding with two materials, as you switch from one material to another, the residual particles left in the barrel could be charred if the second material is being molded at a higher temperature. In addition, contaminated, rejected parts and regrind will re-contaminate virgin material in the next batch of molded parts. Barrel temperature Improper barrel temperature setting may degrade polymer molecules, and they will begin to char. Shot volume If the shot size is below 20 percent of the machine injection capacity, especially for temperature-sensitive

materials, the melt resin will remain in the barrel too long and will begin to degrade.

Remedies
Handle the material carefully
Dry the material properly before molding, according to the resin supplier's instructions.

Alter the mold design

Enlarge the sprue, runner, and/or gate.

Restrictive sprue, runner, gate, or even part design could cause excessive shear heating that aggravates an already overheated material, causing material degradation.
Check for adequate venting dimensions.

The recommended venting size is 0.025 mm (0.001 inches) for crystalline polymers, and 0.038 mm (0.0015 inches) for amorphous polymers.

Adjust the molding conditions

These precautions will deter material from degrading during the process.
Size a proper injection machine for a specific mold.

The typical shot size should be between 20 and 80 percent of the machine injection capacity. For temperature-sensitive materials, the range should be narrowed down, depending on materials. Plastics simulation software can help you select the right size injection machine for a specific mold. This will help to avoid a prolonged residence time for resin in the heated barrel.
Fully purge the older material from the barrel if switching material from one to the

other.

Old material particles left behind could be charred.

Increase the back pressure.

This will help minimize air blending into the melt material.
Improve the venting system.

It's important to allow air and steam to escape easily.

Decrease the melt temperature, injection pressure, or injection speed.